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Cerebral Palsy/Transcript
Transcript Text reads: The Mysteries of Life with Tim and Moby Tim and Moby are playing baseball. Tim is the pitcher, and Moby is the catcher. A boy in leg braces comes up to bat. Moby stands and walks to Tim. MOBY: Beep. TIM: OK, Eddie's up. He likes the ball high and outside, so we should probably pitch him down and in. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Oh, well, he has braces on his legs because he has cerebral palsy. But they're really no big deal. MOBY: Beep. Moby reaches into his chest protector and pulls out a sheet of paper. Tim reads from the typed letter. TIM: Dear Tim and Moby, I'm twelve and have cerebral palsy, and there wasn't anything on BrainPOP about it. Could you make a movie please? From, Bailey. Hi, Bailey. Thanks for writing in. Cerebral palsy, or CP for short, is a group of muscle disorders. An image shows a smiling girl, standing with the assistance of arm braces. TIM: It's caused by brain injuries that occur before birth or very early in life. These injuries can impair movement, coordination, speech, and learning. Images display a bending elbow, a pair of legs walking, a mouth speaking, and a hand writing on a notepad. TIM: In fact, the word "cerebral" means "related to the brain," and the word "palsy" means "difficulty with movement." MOBY: Beep. TIM: Cerebral palsy affects different kids in different ways. Most commonly, it causes muscle stiffness, which makes moving difficult. An image shows a boy standing with the assistance of a walker. TIM: But it can also cause involuntary motions, as well as problems with balance and coordination. An image shows a hand accidentally spilling a glass of water on an opened magazine. TIM: These problems can affect just about any muscle in the body. It all depends on which area of the brain is affected. Images show a human muscle system and a human brain. Areas of each are highlighted to illustrate the connections between parts of the brain and specific muscles. TIM: One kid might not be able to walk at all, and need a wheelchair to get around. An image shows an empty wheelchair. TIM: Another might need braces to walk. An image shows a pair of leg braces. TIM: Another might be able to walk on her own, but with an unusual stride. An image shows a girl walking shakily, but without assistance. TIM: And other kids might have no problem moving, but have issues with speech, learning, or vision. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Well, usually the brain sends out messages telling your body what to do. An image of a human body with the brain and muscles visible illustrates Tim's description. TIM: When you want to lift your arm, your brain sends a signal to the muscles in your arm, and it moves. A fly comes buzzing by. It lands on the body's arm and the other arm swats it. TIM: But with kids with CP, the parts of the brain responsible for sending out these messages have lesions, or damaged areas. The lesions can form while the child is still in his mother's womb, during birth, or during infancy. Images show a baby in the womb, a newborn, and an infant. TIM: In fact, about two out of every thousand babies born is affected by cerebral palsy. CP affects kids through their entire lives, but it's non-progressive. That means it doesn't get worse over time. So if a kid's CP is limited to the muscles in his legs, he won't develop speech problems later on. Images of leg braces and a mouth illustrate Tim's explanation. MOBY: Beep. TIM: No, no. You can't catch cerebral palsy. It's non-contagious. It's a physical injury, like a broken arm, only it affects the brain. Usually, a cause for the injury can't be identified, but it's often something that happens before birth. In pregnant mothers, certain illnesses have been shown to increase their babies' risk for developing CP. An image shows a pregnant mother-to-be. She has spots on her face and a thermometer in her mouth. She is in a hospital bed, being monitored by a machine. TIM: Occasionally, it's brought on by a problem during birth, like if the baby doesn't have enough oxygen flowing into its lungs. And some babies develop CP after they're born. Usually that's a result of being born prematurely, or earlier than normal. An image shows a premature baby in an incubator. TIM: In cases like this, the baby's lungs aren't properly developed, depriving its brain of vital oxygen. MOBY: Beep. TIM: There's no cure yet, but there are lots of ways that kids with CP can improve their condition. Physical therapy can help with balance, flexibility, coordination, and strength. An animation shows a young person with CP, wearing leg braces and guiding himself between two waist-high rails. TIM: There's also speech therapy and occupational therapy to help with strategies for performing everyday tasks. Surgery and medicine can help loosen muscles and tendons. And devices like braces and walkers can help if a kid has trouble moving. For speech issues, some people use computers to help them form words. An image shows a young person in a wheelchair, using a computer keyboard to communicate. TIM: With this kind of assistance, kids with CP can do a lot of stuff the other kids can. An image shows a group of young people with CP, smiling and enjoying one another's company. TIM: They can go to school and summer camp, and even play sports. The young baseball player with CP is still waiting for his chance to bat. Tim holds a baseball and confers with Moby about the next pitch. TIM: So what do you say, Moby? Low and inside, right? Moby nods. MOBY: Beep. Moby crouches behind the baseball player. Tim pitches. The player swings and bats the ball. It hits Tim in the chest and flips him over. Tim lies on his back in the dirt, eyes closed, with the baseball on the ground next to him. TIM: Good grief. Category:BrainPOP Transcripts